Unleash Your Potential: It just might be time to move on

Monday

Oct 1, 2012 at 2:00 AM

The last five years have been a roller coaster ride in the job market. For those individuals who are fortunate to be employed, regardless of your level of job satisfaction, sometimes the prudent decision is to stay put and avoid risk, even though your work may not be the best match for your skills. It isn't easy to move on to another job, especially when it is your sole source of income to support your family.

Lenny Keitel

The last five years have been a roller coaster ride in the job market. For those individuals who are fortunate to be employed, regardless of your level of job satisfaction, sometimes the prudent decision is to stay put and avoid risk, even though your work may not be the best match for your skills. It isn't easy to move on to another job, especially when it is your sole source of income to support your family.

When compelling factors such as lack of growth, underutilization of skills and underachievement totally consume your psyche, however, moving on to other opportunities may be justifiable and inevitable. Typically, such a decision is triggered by a defining or pivotal moment, a situation, a conflict or a significant eye-opener. It's a wake-up call that says you're trapped — not advancing, learning or growing.

You started your job full of optimism and vigor, which has slowly deteriorated. As the position has evolved, you haven't been challenged and you've lost interest. You're stagnated with no opportunity for growth looming on the horizon. The fact is, there's nothing wrong with you or the company; you may have simply outgrown each other.

Never move on if the sole reason for the decision is an irritating colleague or some similar distraction. This problem can be easily remedied with a tactful dialogue or internal escalation.

Each worker must decide what's best for his or her unique situation. There is no rule stating that you must be passionate about and love your job. However, if you've lost the enthusiasm and desire for your job and/or if the gratification, rewards and challenges are lacking, it certainly doesn't benefit your career or your employer.

As former football coach Lou Holtz put it: "If you're bored with life, if you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things, you don't have enough goals."

The need to move on to potentially "greener pastures" is not just a revelation. Typically, dissatisfied workers instinctively know when the current job is not adding much value to their knowledge pool, and they may be better suited for a more challenging or higher level profession. Everyone must have well-defined long- and short-term objectives. It's time to move on when you are convinced that your present job cannot fulfill your long-term objectives.

To err on the side of caution, one should never simply cave in and impulsively resign without a well-thought-out, methodical plan. Resigning without having another job offer in hand places you and your career at high risk. Endeavor to strike a balance between your emotions and rationality when making such a pivotal decision.

Lenny Keitel runs Hudson Valley Resumes (hudsonvalleyresumes.com), a resume writing service in Monroe. He can be reached at info@hudsonvalleyresumes.com, 782-6714 or 914-391-5300.